How safe is your driving?

[Darin Bastedo]

E

Oh, and one other question I missed is the one about merging on a freeway, I answered the posted speed limit. Since when if the speed limit is 55 and all the other idiots are driving 70 or 75 MPH does that give me the right to break the law like the cell phone texting idiots that need that phone shoved up their BLEEPS!?!?!

But if there is traffic and you merge at the speed limit, you will be going faster than traffic. you do want to adjust your speed to the flow of traffic.

[Dan Rosenello]

I missed #16, but I don't think I'm wrong.....3 seconds is NOT enough following distance. If you're running 70 and you're 3 seconds behind someone and they suddenly slam on brakes.....crunch.

I agree. I got that one "wrong" too. But I'd say 20 seconds is safer than 3 in any circumstance ! Oh well.

[diymirage]

if someone is stupid enough to drive at a speed LOWER then the posted speed limit i should be allowed to pass them on the left, cut in front of them when im 3/4 of the way there and send them into the median where they can continue to park

same with "merging" traffic that doesnt use a blinker

unless your Matthew Brownlee im NOT moving over

[scummy]

G,day , i answered the questions by australian standards plus i drive an 18 wheeler and got 45% ? WOW i betta stay here and drive .

[Kit Basher]

What is this "3 seconds" business? I've never heard of it. How do you gauge 3 seconds, or 10, or 20? Back when I was learning to drive (sometime in the late 1800's IIRC) we were told the separation should be 1 car length for every 10 miles per hour. That is relatively easy to visualize. How do you visualize 3 seconds? Enquiring minds want to know!

[Custom Hearse]

there isn't a car on the road that can't stop from 65 miles an hour in under 288 ft.

Unless of course the brakes don't work to begin with...

[Jordan White]

What is this "3 seconds" business? I've never heard of it. How do you gauge 3 seconds, or 10, or 20? Back when I was learning to drive (sometime in the late 1800's IIRC) we were told the separation should be 1 car length for every 10 miles per hour. That is relatively easy to visualize. How do you visualize 3 seconds? Enquiring minds want to know!

It's a rough guesstimate using say a post on the side of the road, when the car ahead of you passes the post, you count the seconds until you pass the post which gives you your following time.

[scummy]

What is this "3 seconds" business? I've never heard of it. How do you gauge 3 seconds, or 10, or 20? Back when I was learning to drive (sometime in the late 1800's IIRC) we were told the separation should be 1 car length for every 10 miles per hour. That is relatively easy to visualize. How do you visualize 3 seconds? Enquiring minds want to know!

You count , one thousand ,two thousand, three thousand and then you should pass the point you started counting .

[diymirage]

i was always told at cruizing speeds you want to keep 3 "lines" in betweeen you and the car ahead of you

(of course this only works on roads where you are allowed to pass other cars

[Terry Sumner]

I took the test (I know I scored well) but I'm not giving them my email so I can be flooded with spam. Doesn't everyone drive the posted limit in a blizzard?

I agree...so I just made up a fake Yahoo email addy! LOL

[Guest Johnny]

What is this "3 seconds" business? I've never heard of it. How do you gauge 3 seconds, or 10, or 20? Back when I was learning to drive (sometime in the late 1800's IIRC) we were told the separation should be 1 car length for every 10 miles per hour. That is relatively easy to visualize. How do you visualize 3 seconds? Enquiring minds want to know!

Been around a long long time! Even way back when I had drivers ed in HS!

You count , one thousand ,two thousand, three thousand and then you should pass the point you started counting .

You pick an object (usually a road marker or sign post and just as the car ahead passes it you start counting.

It went One one thousand, two one thousand three one thousand. It is considered a minimum and you would increase that distance with in climate conditions. I personally give more distance but that comess from years of driving big truck.

It isn't based on stopping distance as you are talking both vehicles moving at the same speed. What is really pertaining to is "reaction time" so you have enough time to react and counter any changing road or traffic conditions that may happen ahead of you.

[Kit Basher]

Thanks for the "3 second" explanation. Sometimes you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

[highway]

It isn't based on stopping distance as you are talking both vehicles moving at the same speed. What is really pertaining to is "reaction time" so you have enough time to react and counter any changing road or traffic conditions that may happen ahead of you.

i have to disagree there, yes reaction time is part of it, but even vehicles at the same speed won't stop in the same distance. If your driving a brand new Corvette and I'm behind you by only three seconds in my almost 5,000 pound 1990 Ford F-350 dually, my front bumper will be kissing the back of your head!

[Guest Johnny]

i have to disagree there, yes reaction time is part of it, but even vehicles at the same speed won't stop in the same distance. If your driving a brand new Corvette and I'm behind you by only three seconds in my almost 5,000 pound 1990 Ford F-350 dually, my front bumper will be kissing the back of your head!

Even in that situation IF you are an attentive driver you have enough reaction time to take evasive action!

Besides that was a rule of thumb in driving cars and those that drive heavier vehicles are or at least should be aware of the difference!

[CAL]

i have to disagree there, yes reaction time is part of it, but even vehicles at the same speed won't stop in the same distance. If your driving a brand new Corvette and I'm behind you by only three seconds in my almost 5,000 pound 1990 Ford F-350 dually, my front bumper will be kissing the back of your head!

That's why there is a 3 second rule. You would at 70mph have to close up a 111ft per second gap (that is 333ft if you use the 3 sec rule) to even come close to contact with car in front, and there is a NTSB maximum stopping distance for vehicles on the road: which is something like 187ft at 60 to 0. So even your 5000 lbs tank should stop in time at a 3 second gap well short of a collision.

I am getting somewhere between 131 to 124 60-0 on a 1990 F350 and 112 for a 2011 Corvette. Not a lot of difference.

BTW my 21 year-old Porsche is 97ft which for the era had the best brakes in the world.

Even that is a long way from a collision.

Edited June 26, 2011 by CAL

[roadhawg]

This "3 second rule" might work ok under perfect circumstances.....both drivers paying attention to the road, perfect reaction time, perfect road conditions, etc, but how often does THAT happen? It usually takes the idiot thats 3 seconds behind about 2 1/2 of those seconds to look up from their cell phone.

[Harold]

I was taught that a safe distance was 1 car length for every 10 mph of speed. Good rule of thumb, considering back when that was the standard, most cars had drum brakes and bias- ply tires. Discs and radials make it an even safer bet.

[CAL]

You gotta be paying attention for it to work.

[CAL]

I was taught that a safe distance was 1 car length for every 10 mph of speed. Good rule of thumb, considering back when that was the standard, most cars had drum brakes and bias- ply tires. Discs and radials make it an even safer bet.

How is 60mph.... SIX! car lengths going to work?

Here people will take a car length and a couple inches without even batting an eye.

It's annoying. Most driver on the road are annoying.

Especially people in SUVs. Ride your butt and make daring dashes around you just go 5 miles slower in front of you. I hate those friggen things, because now you are stuck behind some big piece of junk you can't see around.

They should just ban them all or make a new law that says the taller the vehicle the further back in the cue you go.

I have noticed an interesting thing, that people seem to be much more courtious when I drive my Porsche.

Edited June 27, 2011 by CAL

[Eric Stone]

100%

Been driving 13 years. 4 tickets, at least that many warnings, probably more, 0 accidents.